


sweet dreams 'til sunbeams find you

by HannahPelham



Series: dream a little dream of me [1]
Category: MASH (TV)
Genre: ALL THE GOOD STUFF, Cheesy, F/M, Fluffy, Hawkeye is probably super ooc but you know, oh well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:35:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29981583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HannahPelham/pseuds/HannahPelham
Summary: at a 4077th reunion in 1955, a rum cake falls on the floor, eyes meet, spoons clash and benjamin franklin "hawkeye" pierce is introduced to honoria winchestertitle from 'dream a little dream of me'
Relationships: Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce/Honoria Winchester
Series: dream a little dream of me [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2206497
Comments: 4
Kudos: 3





	sweet dreams 'til sunbeams find you

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is just a silly little thing but I thought about what would happen, and I was reading Alan Alda's book 'Never Have Your Dog Stuffed' and the story about him and Arlene meeting over the rum cake got into my head - this is a little tribute to them. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Un-betad. We die like men.

It took letters from BJ, Margaret, Klinger, Mulcahy, Potter, and Hawkeye to convince Charles to host a 4077th reunion in Boston in 1955. 

Letters flew around the country, inviting the familiar faces for a week’s R&R in Beacon Hill, Boston.

BJ and Peg flew in via Oklahoma, having dropped Erin off with Peg’s parents in Quapaw.

Margaret flew up from Fort Dix, New Jersey, having stayed in the army.

Klinger and Soon-Lee, now USA based, drove from Toledo.

The Potters, Sherman now retired from the army, flew in from Missouri. 

Father Mulcahy flew in from Pennsylvania, where he’d been fitted with some hearing aids upon his return from Korea. 

Radar and his wife Janey flew in from Ottumwa, after Hawkeye and BJ pitched in for their flights. 

And of course, Hawkeye drove to Boston from Crabapple Cove, Maine. 

Hawkeye was doing better than he expected now he was home. He’d finally moved out of his dad’s house. He only lived down the street, but that didn’t matter. The important thing was that he was a homeowner, and independent. His weekly telephone consultations with Sidney Freedman had become monthly, and more friendly conversation than important psychiatric matters regarding Hawkeye. 

It was a strange sensation for those who’d been at the 4077th to be all together again, eating the same food in the same place, but with distinctly better food, and their families around. The dining room of the Winchester family’s Beacon Hill was suitably grand. The men were in suits, the women in beautiful dresses. 

Dinner was wonderful, as everyone had expected. The starters had been divine, the main course had been potentially the best food Hawkeye had ever eaten, but dessert was something Hawkeye would remember forever. 

Nobody quite saw what happened, all they knew was one minute the rum cake was on a plate, and the next it was on the floor. Hawkeye had been raised under the mantra of ‘waste not, want not’, and it was something he tried to hold onto. Korea had been a three year letting-go, but he was not about to let this cake go to waste, not when it looked that good. He grabbed his spoon from his place setting and ran towards the cake.

As he dipped his spoon into the mess of cake on the floor, he was very surprised to find that it clashed with another. He looked up, and met the most beautiful pair of eyes he ever thought he’d had the fortune to see. He didn’t know what to do, except smile. As he took in the rest of the woman’s appearance, he thought she may be an angel. He didn’t think he’d ever seen someone so perfectly formed. 

She smiled back at him, and he let out a breath. 

“Benjamin Franklin Pierce” He said, holding out a hand for her to shake. 

“Honoria Heloise Winchester” She replied, shaking it. 

They returned to their seats at the table, smiling nervously at each other, from one end of the table to the other. Hawkeye couldn’t stop looking down towards her. He had often wondered if love at first sight existed, and now he was convinced it did. 

That evening, he found himself alone with BJ and Colonel Potter. No matter how long the war was over, he would always be Colonel Potter to Hawkeye. All he could think about was Honoria. They sat opposite him, and stared until he spoke. 

“Honoria” He said, after a minute. 

“We saw” BJ replied. He looked at Hawkeye for a moment, before he realised that his friend really was having a real crisis. 

“Beej I….I’ve never felt anything like it, ever. I looked in her eyes and I could see my entire future happiness, there and then, but of course nothing can ever happen tha-”

“Cow cookies!” Colonel Potter exclaimed, “why couldn’t anything ever happen?”

“Sir,” Hawkeye replied, “she’s Charles’ sister, he’d never allow it”

BJ smiled. He wondered when things being allowed or not had stopped Hawkeye. 

“And? If you really like her, and she likes you, Charles can’t stop you”

Hawkeye sipped his scotch and smiled weakly. He really had felt a connection with Honoria, more than he had with anybody before. 

“See how the week goes, you don’t need to make any decisions yet, son” Colonel Potter said after a minute or so, breaking the silence. Hawkeye nodded. He’d wait and see what happened, because that was going to be easy. 

Hawkeye barely slept, he couldn’t stop turning things over in his mind. He wondered if he needed to call Sidney when he got home, if nothing had happened. He reasoned that it may not be a bad thing. 

Early the next morning, Hawkeye was sitting out on a patio, knitting. He’d kept it up after the war just as something to do with his hands when he needed a think. That way, if anyone walked past him, he wouldn’t look like he was just staring into space. He was doing just that, a cup of coffee going cold next to him, when he felt the presence of someone else behind him. He turned around, and there she was. Wrapped in a silk dressing gown, her auburn hair piled up on top of her head, a book in her hands. Hawkeye thought she looked like a movie star, and a particularly beautiful one at that. 

“C-can I sit with you?” She asked. 

“Of course, it’s your house after all” Hawkeye replied, quickly finishing his row so he could place his knitting down. He sipped his coffee, and poured another one from the waiting pot for her. 

“T-hat cake w-w-was nice” Honoria said with a smile as she accepted the coffee. 

“It was delicious” Hawkeye replied. Honoria nodded in agreement, and Hawkeye realised that was what she’d wanted to say, but had avoided the word delicious because she found it tricky. 

“I’m glad w-we didn’t let it...let it go to w-waste” She said, still smiling. She found she couldn’t stop smiling around the man. 

“It would have been criminal...I didn’t properly introduce myself last night, everyone calls me Hawkeye” 

“I’m j-j-just Honoria” 

Hawkeye smiled at her. Honoria seemed like the perfect name for her, it was delicate but also strong, old fashioned but unusual. 

  
  


“Does Charles ever talk about us?” Hawkeye asked. He wondered how often the 4077th came up in conversation. 

“A litt-t-tle, I d-don’t t-think he ex...pected me to speak to his f-friends” 

“Whyever not?” Hawkeye asked. He knew Charles could be a bit uptight, but he didn’t think he’d be so uptight as to expect his sister not to talk just because she had a stutter. 

“T-he stutt-t-ter” Honoria replied, looking down into her coffee. One of her hands was resting on her book on the table, and Hawkeye placed a gentle hand on top of hers. 

“Well I like it personally, it gives you character,” He said quietly, in case anybody - Charles - was listening, “plus it’s cute”

Honoria blushed profusely and turned her hand, so it was holding Hawkeye’s. She squeezed it for a moment before she let go, picking up her book. Hawkeye picked up his knitting and they sat there, engrossed in their own thing but also in each other, until the others woke up. 

The week was spent catching up on life’s events, Erin walking and talking and starting school, Colonel Potter’s retirement, Charles’ life as head of thoracic surgery, Margaret down at Fort Dix, and even Hawkeye working as a town doctor in Crabapple Cove. 

Hawkeye was sure he’d have to write to all his friends to ask these questions again, because he wasn’t concentrating. He couldn’t concentrate on them when Honoria was sitting right there, looking as pretty and wonderful as she did. 

The week ended far too quickly for Hawkeye’s taste, which was not what he was expecting when he signed up for a week with Charles. He sat out in the garden, early on the last morning. He’d nearly finished his knitting project, and he wanted Honoria to have it. He was pleased to find Honoria had had the same idea as him about the garden, and soon he was joined by her and her book. 

“G-good morning Hawk-k-eye” She said as she sat down, pulling her silk robe around herself a little tighter. Her leg stuck out from it though, and Hawkeye could hardly concentrate on his knitting for the sight of Honoria’s creamy skin in the early morning light. 

“It certainly is, Honoria” Hawkeye replied, casting off his knitting. He grabbed the yarn needle from the table and started sewing it up as Honoria sipped her coffee and read the last chapter of her book. It was quiet, only the sounds of distant cars and the occasional burst of birdsong providing any soundtrack. Hawkeye finished the hat and set it down on the table with a triumphant flourish. He took a sip of his coffee, topping up both his and Honoria’s mugs. She accepted it with a smile, and finished the last page of her book. She placed it down next to the hat. 

“How was the book?” Hawkeye asked.

“F-f-fantastic” Honoria replied, “much like...much like that-t hat-t”

Hawkeye smiled, the thought of Honoria actually liking the hat was very exciting indeed. 

“You think so?” He asked. 

Honoria nodded. She picked the hat up and turned it over in her hands. 

“C-can I have it-t?” She asked. Hawkeye almost laughed in surprise, he’d finally found someone who actually wanted one of his knitting projects. 

“Of course you can, I was actually going to ask you if you’d like it” Hawkeye replied, “you may need it one day...Honoria, can I ask you something?”

Honoria nodded in reply. Though she had become chattier over the week, Honoria was still reluctant to say more than she had to. 

“Would you like to come to Maine, sometime? You don’t have to, I’m sure you have much better things to do, Maine isn’t all that exciting but it is pretty and I thou-”

Hawkeye was cut off by Honoria kissing his cheek. He was stunned into silence. 

“I’d love t-to” Honoria replied, smiling brightly. She took the hat and her book and went inside, leaving Hawkeye dumbstruck and more at risk of falling in love with her than ever. 

The first thing Hawkeye did upon his return to Maine was visit his father. Whenever he had something he needed to work out, his first port of call was always his dad. He knew there would always be a cup of coffee and a kind word waiting for him at the home of Daniel Pierce. 

He didn’t even go back to his house to drop off his belongings, he drove straight there from Boston. The door was open before he was fully up the path. 

“How was Boston?” Daniel asked from the doorway. 

“You are never going to believe what’s happened!” Hawkeye replied as he hugged his father and made his way inside.

“Am I not? Because after some of the stuff you and BJ got up to in Korea…”

“This is more unbelievable than that, I promise you. I met Winchester’s sister” Hawkeye said, settling down on the worn couch he was sure his father had had since the Great War. 

“That’s not that unbelievable, I mean you were staying with them” Daniel replied, wondering where on earth this story was going. 

“Yes thank you, funny man, I met Winchester’s sister, Honoria, and I swear to god, Dad...do you think love at first sight exists?” 

Daniel was taken aback by his son’s questions. Of all the things for him to ask, Daniel never thought he’d hear his son ask that. 

“I do, I had it with your mom” He replied, looking over to a family photograph, taken just before Mrs Pierce had gotten sick. 

“You just knew she was the one?”

“I did”

“I think Honoria is the one,” Hawkeye said, looking at the same photograph. Daniel looked over at his son, and realised just how much he meant it. Hawkeye told his father all about his early morning coffees with Honoria, making her a hat, and with every word about her, Daniel could see how strongly his son felt. 

By the end of the conversation, Daniel could tell that Hawkeye was in love with Honoria. 

When they’d said goodbye, Hawkeye had told Honoria that she was welcome in Crabapple Cove any time. She’d said that she’d always wanted to see proper snow in the country, and so it was agreed that Hawkeye would call her at the first sign of incoming snow, so she could get herself to Maine. 

Hawkeye woke up on a particularly cold October morning, a couple of months after the Boston reunion. He’d been exchanging letters with Honoria since he’d left, and he was absolutely sure by now that he was completely in love with her. Completely, irretrievably, irrevocably, incandescently in love with her. He looked out the window, and knew snow was coming. He was sure he could smell it in the air. He ran downstairs and called Honoria.

“Honoria, it’s Hawkeye, are you busy for the next few days?” He said as soon as the butler put him through to her. 

_ “N-no, w-why?” _

“I think it might snow, I can be with you in around three hours”

_ “I’ll b-be packed a-and wait-t-ting” _

Hawkeye didn’t think he’d ever got ready for something as quickly as he had for his drive to Boston. He threw on some decent clothes, wrote a note to post under his Dad’s door on his way past, and made his way down the coast to Boston. 

He didn’t think he’d been less well received than he had been by Charles when he turned up in Beacon Hill three and a half hours later. 

“Pierce, you better look after her” He said as he opened the door.

“Charles, I swear on my dad’s life, I will be gentlemanly and charming and believe me, I only have Honoria’s best interests at heart” Hawkeye replied. Charles could instantly tell he meant it, by the look in Hawkeye’s eyes when Honoria walked down the stairs with a suitcase in her hand. 

“My lady, your chariot awaits” Hawkeye said as she reached him. He took her hand and kissed it gently. Honoria blushed profusely and said goodbye to her brother, saying she’d telephone when she was soon to return. 

The drive back was filled with lively conversation, much to Hawkeye’s delight. He guessed that as they’d gotten to know each other via letter since the reunion, now he knew how eloquent Honoria was, she was more likely to try in person. Just as they passed the newly painted ‘Welcome to Crabapple Cove!’ sign, a few snowflakes started to fall. Honoria gasped quietly and fumbled in her handbag for something. Hawkeye swore his heart burst with love when she pulled out the hat he’d knitted her. 

They arrived at Daniel Pierce’s house, they were both staying there as they figured it would look bad if they both stayed at Hawkeye’s house. Hawkeye carried Honoria’s suitcase in and took it up to one of the guest bedrooms whilst Daniel introduced himself. Hawkeye had warned him about Honoria’s stutter, and had said to Honoria that she should try not to worry about it around his dad. He hoped it was going well. 

When he came back downstairs, Hawkeye found two steaming mugs of coffee on the table, and his father was nowhere to be seen. Honoria was standing on the back porch, her coat wrapped around her and Hawkeye’s hat on her head, as she watched the snow fall. Hawkeye carried the coffee out and cleared a place for it on the small table that stood by the door. He placed it down and walked over to where Honoria was standing. She looked up at him and smiled brightly, a real smile that lit up her whole face. Hawkeye leant down and kissed her nervously, tentatively, gently. He pulled away quickly.

“I hope that was alright Honoria, I’ve never been this nervous around a beautiful woman before” He said quietly, a hand resting on Honoria’s arm. 

“H-Hawkeye, you d-don’t need to worry about...about that” Honoria replied, taking his hand in hers.    
  


“Call me Ben”   
  


“W-what?”   
  


“Everyone calls me Hawkeye, I’d like you to call me Ben” Hawkeye said, taking his eyes off Honoria for a moment to look at the snow. He only managed it for a moment before he looked back.    
  


“Wh...why?” She asked.    
  


“Because I love you, Honoria, and I want to marry you someday and I would like my potential future wife to call me by my name” He replied. He hadn’t intended to say all of that, but once it was out, he was glad he had.    
  


“I love you too, Ben” Honoria replied, without faltering. Hawkeye took that as a good sign.    
  


“What about the marrying part?” He asked, anticipating her taking it as a joke. He didn’t for one minute think she could feel as strongly as he did.    
  


“A-are you asking?”   
  


“Are you accepting?”   
  


“Dep-p-pends on if you’re asking”   
  


“Honoria Winchester, will you marry me?” Hawkeye asked.    
  


“Yes, Ben, I will” Honoria replied. Hawkeye pulled Honoria close and kissed her with all the passion and love he had. She threw her arms around his neck and laughed with joy into the kiss. 

  
When they went back inside, they found Hawkeye’s mother’s engagement ring waiting on the table for Honoria. Daniel never said a word about it, but Hawkeye knew he’d been saving it for the future Mrs Pierce. It seemed like destiny when it fit perfectly. 


End file.
